4 Phillies outfield trade candidates from clubs already falling out of contention
The Phillies are shopping for outfielders. Here are four possibilities.
The Philadelphia Phillies' hot start means the organization will be looking to add players via trade at the July 30 trade deadline. The presumption is that they're considering adding another outfielder and still might do that.
The Phillies best offensive outfielder, Brandon Marsh, went on the 10-day injured list on June 3 after suffering a right hamstring strain. The 26-year-old has a .265/.344/.426 line in 52 games. Utility bench player Kody Clemens, who Philadelphia has used more in the infield than in the outfield, is also on the 10-day IL retroactive to May 31 with back spasms.
In the meantime, Philly called up outfielder David Dahl, who had a .340/.416/.660 line in 43 games with their Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The 30-year-old has previous experience in the majors with the Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, and San Diego Padres.
He got off to a good start for the Phillies on June 3 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Dahl went 2-for-3 with two runs, a home run and one RBI. Even if he can provide consistency for Philadelphia in Marsh's absence, the front office will still do its due diligence on seeing what outfielders are available to acquire by the trade deadline.
4 Phillies outfield trade candidates from clubs already falling out of contention
The club has not received consistent offensive production all year from starters Nick Castellanos or Johan Rojas. Reserves Whit Merrifield and Cristian Pache haven't earned extra playing time due to their lack of offense.
According to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, the Phillies have been prioritizing adding another outfielder.
ESPN's Jeff Passan also recently listed outfield as a need the Phillies will be addressing at the trade deadline in his early 2024 trade deadline preview.
Which possibly available outfielders could help boost the offense for a postseason run?
Tommy Pham, CHW
Tommy Pham is one outfielder that comes to mind. No matter his age, the 36-year-old takes care of his body and still can play at a high level. Since he debuted for the Chicago White Sox on April 26, he has a .280/.331/.402 line with three home runs and three stolen bases in 33 games. Despite landing on the IL recently with an ankle injury, he's working his way back.
TOMMY PHAM! pic.twitter.com/nLFSYoK96y
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 4, 2024
Pham is the sort of player fans of a ball club don't like to play against but like having on the team they support. While his emotions may make him come off as a villain to opposing fans, Philly fans don't mind that.
Bryce Harper has played that role since his debut in the majors in 2012. Philly fans couldn't stand him with the Washington Nationals. Now he is beloved since he has worn a Phillies uniform. While Pham may have only a brief tenure with Philadelphia for the remainder of this season, he would provide the same kind of reception from the fan base based on his no-nonsense attitude and hard work ethic.
He wouldn't cost the Phillies much in a trade. The potential reward Pham could give them in the second half of 2024 and the postseason certainly outweighs the risk in acquiring him. The former New York Met sparked the Arizona Diamondbacks' Cinderella run to the 2023 World Series. He should be on Philadelphia's radar leading up to the deadline.
Harrison Bader, NYM
The likelihood of the Phillies making a deal with a divisional foe in the New York Mets is less than the 25 other clubs. However, there is a good chance that New York will be sellers at the deadline. They are 28-36 and 16.5 games back of Philadelphia in the NL East.
The free agent-to-be Harrison Bader is having a decent year for the Mets. He is known more for his defense than his offense. For his career, the Bronxville, New York native has a .985 fielding percentage in 599 contests in center field. In far fewer career games in left and right, he has also demonstrated reliable defense.
Harrison Bader keeps the inning going. #LGM pic.twitter.com/5cdBTRcC8b
— New York Mets (@Mets) May 19, 2024
Offensively, the 30-year-old had a .267/.324/.460 line with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021. He posted his highest OPS at .784 in 103 games that year. In 53 games with the Mets this season, he has a .267/.316/.369 slash line. Considering Bader will be a free agent, he's another player who shouldn't cost the Phillies much to acquire in trade.
The Mets currently trail the Chicago Cubs for the third Wild Card spot by 3.0 games. While that may not seem like a lot, the Mets have lacked consistency, going 9-19 in May. They weren't viewed as one of the top teams in the NL entering the year, and rumors have begun that New York will undergo another fire sale at the deadline for a second consecutive season.
Luis Robert Jr., CHW
The Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. has three years of club control remaining on his deal following this season.
According to Passan, Robert Jr. could be on the move this summer. While Dave Dombrowski developed the reputation of making big deadline deals with the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox, he should exercise a degree of caution in potentially weakening an average to below-average Phillies farm system even further.
Luis Robert Jr. sends one to the upper deck in Charlotte 🤯 pic.twitter.com/42RG4nU1wa
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 28, 2024
Robert Jr. has struggled to remain healthy in three of his four seasons for the White Sox. He played in only 68 games in 2021 followed by 98 the following year. He has already missed two months this year with a right hip flexor strain he sustained in early April.
Robert Jr. has another year of club control followed by two consecutive club options in 2026 and 2027. Chicago will be looking to acquire a lot for the 26-year-old and the Phillies appear to covet pitcher Andrew Painter, shortstop Aidan Miller and outfielder Justin Crawford the most in their minor league system.
It doesn't look like it would be worth the Phillies parting with other top prospects, such as pitcher Mick Abel or shortstop Starlyn Caba, in a deal for Robert Jr. Even trading away pitchers like Samuel Aldegheri or George Klassen, who are both doing extremely well, would not be worth it. Robert Jr.'s injury history is too much of a red flag.
Randy Arozarena, TBR
Randy Arozarena has two more years of arbitration remaining on his deal before he becomes a free agent following the 2026 season. The 29-year-old is off to a slow start with a .179/.288/.326 line through 63 games. For his career, the Havana, Cuba native has a .254/.343/.437 slash line.
He has done well in the postseason in three of five years, most notably in 2020. Arozarena has only played in 13 career playoff games in the other four postseasons. In 2020, he slashed .377/.442/.831, with a 1.273 OPS in 20 games, earning the ALCS MVP.
Randy Arozarena goes over The Monster! pic.twitter.com/UlHhGzr6jI
— MLB (@MLB) May 15, 2024
He won the AL Rookie of the Year in 2021, but the Rays didn't go far in the playoffs from 2021 to 2023 as they were eliminated in the ALDS or the Wild Card Series in each postseason.
The Rays aren't the same team we're used to seeing this season. They're sitting 14.0 games out of first in the AL East. While they're 3.0 games back in the AL Wild Card, they could easily become sellers at the trade deadline.
Tampa Bay will want a lot for Arozarena despite his struggles so far in 2024. With another two years of club control, he can provide the Phillies a boost offensively during the postseason. Would Dombrowski risk trading a substantial amount for a player who has struggled so much this season?
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